Syllabus

22-690: Research Paper in HPERD

Instructor: Terry Long or assigned faculty mentor

Office Hours: By Appointment
Time & Location: Arranged
Prerequisites: 22-636
Credit Hours: (1-3)

Course Description: Selected individual problems are explored by the student through an in-
depth research project in an area of the student’s interest. This course should be taken during the
final trimesters of the student’s program.

Objectives:
By the completion of this course students will demonstrate the ability to:
1. Identify a significant issue or problem and summarize the associated body of knowledge to be
targeted through research.
2. Identify factors and summarize the associated body of knowledge regarding this problem.
3. Develop and implement a methodology for examining the impact of identified factors on the
targeted problem or issue.
4. Demonstrate the ability to analyze research data and interpret research results.
5. Present a logical and objective discussion of research findings, as well as associated
limitations and recommendations.
6. Write a comprehensive manuscript describing a research project that is consistent with writing
standards associated with professional research.

Course Work:
Students pursuing an MS Ed in Health & Physical Education or MS in Applied Health Sciences
are required to complete a graduate research paper. This document outlines the requirements of
this paper and explains various related concepts. Students completing the MS in Recreation
should refer the HPERD Department Thesis Handbook. Make sure you are using the right
Handbook to guide your work.

Formulating a Topic
Students are responsible for identifying a feasible, ethical, and significant topic for their research
paper; however, several courses are designed to assist in this process. PE 22-636: Research
Methods in PE and PE 22-665 Qualitative and Quantitative analysis will both be helpful as you
work to develop and implement a research project. 22-690: Research Paper is a completely
separate course and, although the concepts might relate, the work required for 22-690 is
independent of work completed in the other two classes. As such, there is no guarantee that work
completed in 22-636 and 22-665 will be appropriate or complete in regard to the various sections
of your research paper.
Students are expected to conduct an actual research project as part of the research paper. This
means that students will present a research proposal (literature review and methods) for their
chosen topic, collect actual data, and present the results from their findings in the body of the
research paper. Most projects involve correlation or group comparison studies. In some cases
descriptive survey research is allowed, but only if approved by the supervising faculty member.
Term papers and literature reviews are insufficient to meet the research paper requirements.
Students are allowed to utilize work originally developed in 22-636 or 22-690 as part of their
research paper; however, it is rarely the case that this work does not require significant additions
and revisions. Requirements for PE 22-690 mandate that students make an additional and
significant contribution to the final research paper that is above and beyond previous course
work.

Content and Format Requirements

Students completing a research paper will format their papers in APA format (most recent
edition) unless otherwise approved by the research paper instructor. Essentially, students will
prepare a manuscript for submission to a journal. All papers should meet the following critieria:

1. Papers should include a minimum of 30 references, unless the supervising faculty member
determines that the paper is adequately supported with fewer references. Typically students will
exceed this requirement.

2. Papers should be a MINIMUM of 14 pages of written text (double spaced: excluding title
page, references, tables, and figures). Maximum length for text is 25 pages, unless otherwise
approved. More important than length is presentation of an adequate rationale through the
literature review; as well as a thorough, yet concise, description of methods, results, and
discussion.

3. All studies involving human subjects must be approved by the University IRB before any data
is collected – failure to do so will result in a failing grade (F) a potential dismissal from the
program.

4. Literature review and description of methodology should be completed BEFORE collecting

any data, and preferably before submitting to IRB.

Format of papers will vary depending on the topic area (suggested guidelines are provided later),
but generally speaking, there are 4 parts to any paper: Introduction/Literature Review, Methods,
Results, and Discussion.

Once complete, the student and instructor will work together to determine if the manuscript is
appropriate for submission to an actual journal. Professors who assist in preparing the
manuscript for submission after completion of the actual paper are typically listed as co-authors;
however, students will always be listed as first author, unless extenuating circumstances justify
an alternative listing. Papers may also be considered for professional presentation at professional
meetings or conferences.
Due Dates
Your paper will require two extensive readings during the grading process. You should provide
the instructor with at least 2 weeks for each reading (remember, you aren’t the only one being
turned in). This means a rough draft should be turned in at least 6 weeks prior to the end of the
semester. The final draft should typically be completed within 7 days after you receive back the
rough draft. In any case, the final draft is due the Monday that precedes finals week. Work with
the instructor to establish due dates and time lines.

Research Component Forms

A Research Component Form must be submitted to the Graduate Office after the supervising
faculty member grades and approves the final draft. This document must be signed by the
supervising faculty member. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that this document is
submitted to the Graduate Office prior to the deadline. Research Component Forms can be
obtained from the supervising faculty member or from the Graduate Student Handbook.

Citation of Sources and Plagiarism

Students should be extremely thorough in citing sources. Sources must ALWAYS be cited
whenever use is made of the material of others (even if the concept or idea is not a direct quote).
When quoting information, always provide a page number and use quotation marks/blocking. It
is recommended that you avoid direct quotes unless absolutely necessary. Follow APA
guidelines for citing and quoting material.
Students who plagiarize the work of others will receive an F and are subject to removal from the
Graduate Program.

Continuous Enrollment
Once a Northwest HPERD graduate student has enrolled in the Research Paper class,
the student must continue to register for at least one hour of the Research Paper class
each trimester until the work is completed, whether the student is in residence or away from
the campus. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment in thesis or research paper may require
enrollment in three additional hours of thesis or research paper before the degree is granted.

Grading Criteria for Research Paper

Each faculty mentor is responsible for grading your paper and has the right to modify or further
develop the following grading criteria. Do NOT expect your mentor to grade your paper as you
write it. Ask for feedback and guidance on general points, but use your resources to ensure the
paper is well written, properly formatted, and consistent with the expectations associated with
objective research manuscripts.
 Paper Format Requirements

You must have the following sections

 Title page
o Title is typically no more than 12 words.
o Title page is double spaced and centered.
 Include
 author Name
 Degree and Institution
 Date of Completion

 Abstract -150 word maximum

o Most important paragraph in your paper – it quickly summarizes:
 Problem under investigation.
 Participant information.
 Essential features of the study method.
 Basic findings
 Conclusions and implications/applications
 Follow with listing of 5-7 key words.

 Introduction/Literature review/Purpose & Hypothesis Statement (6-8 pages)

o First, present the specific problem you will address.
 This is your dependent variable(s) in comparison studies.
o Second, present the factors/solutions pertaining to problem that you will study.
 This is your independent variable(s) in comparison studies.
o Include theory and research pertaining to both the DV and IV.
o Do NOT include your opinion, any info not from the literature, or any info about
your study methods.
o Then, present a summary including:
 Main points, purpose statement, and hypothesis.

 Methods (3-4 pages).

o Sample
o Instrumentation
o (other required sections here– see below)
o Procedures
o Research Design and Data Analysis
 You may need other sections – such as a detailed description of your
treatment, teaching protocol, intervention, etc.
 Additional sections should go between instrumentation and procedures.
  Results (2-3 pages)
o Only present results, do not discuss or interpret them.
o Most studies can follow a 2 section format.
 Descriptive Statistics
 Hypothesis Tests
 Include relevant tables in this section
 Means table, Anova Table, Correlation table, etc.

 Discussion (3-5 pages)

o General Findings
o Limitations
o Recommendations for Practice
o Recommendations for Research

 References
o Double Space References.
o Follow APA format to the smallest detail.

Other IMPORTANT Details

1. Double space EVERYTHING!

2. Use 1 inch margins, with new-times roman font.
3. Learn APA format rules regarding subheadings, numbers, citation of sources, reference list.
 Grading Guidelines for Research Paper

Part 1: First Draft of entire research paper (all 5 chapters and supplemental pages):
- A 1/3 percent deduction will be enforced for every format, grammar, or spelling error.
(For example, any error caught by the word editor function will be an automatic 1/3 deduction,
and all spelling errors and APA errors will be a 1/3 point deduction, so proofread your work,
don’t depend on the editor function alone).

- 10% - consistency of discussion across all sections

- example - is your statistical analysis consistent with the stated hypothesis?

- 30% - Content - are all required sections sufficiently addressed.

- these sections will vary based on the nature of your study.

- 10% - Flow and organization of information, quality of recommendations and discussion.

Part 2: Final Draft of Entire Research Paper:

- 1/2% will be deducted for every spelling, grammar, or format error.

- Content and Consistency 25%

- Flow and Organization 25%

Your final grade is the combined scores from Part 1 and Part 2 (50% each).

Note: Generally, formatting errors that tend to be repeated if the rule is misunderstood only
receive a 1 time deduction for the rough draft; however, failure to fix these errors for the final
draft can result in multiple deductions for the same error if repeated multiple times.

Example: Formatting “et al.” as an abbreviation for “and others”.

Correct (Jones et al., 2004)

Incorrect (Jones et. al., 2004)

10 incorrect uses of “et al.” would result in a 1/3 percent deduction if made on the rough draft.

10 incorrect uses of “et al.” would result in a 3 1/3 percent deduction if made on the final draft.
 Common Errors Seen on Research Papers that will Result in Deductions

Numerals Vs. Spelled out Numbers: SEE APA GUIDELINES

Proper CITATION format (and reference page errors): SEE APA GUIDELINES

Affect Vs. Effect: Affect is a verb. Effect is a noun

(Example: We measured the effect of PCP.)
(Example: PCP affected reaction time.)

Do not use contractions (incorrect: Don’t, Can’t, He’d)

(Correct: do not, cannot, he would)

Do not begin sentences with coordinate conjunctions (incorrect: But, it was found..)

The words “data, criteria, phenomena” are plural (incorrect: The data was found to..)
(correct: The data were found to...)

Et al. is the Greek abbreviation for “and others”. It is incorrect to add an apostrophe to
make it possessive (incorrect: Jones et al’s study). (correct: Jones et al. have found..)

When using However or therefore to join two complete sentences, the word must be preceded
by a semicolon.

Correct: Your paper is late; therefore, you will not graduate.

I like coffee; however, tea will suffice in this case.

When referring to the results of a statistical test, “Results were insignificant” is

incorrect. “Results were nonsignificant” IS correct.

Less vs. Fewer. The general rule is: if object can be counted, use fewer. If a general
comparison, use less. (correct: There were fewer students in Brown’s study)

Avoid redundant wording: change total of 10 people to 10 people

change has been previously found to has been found

Then refers to the order of occurrences (Then, I left the store),

Than is used for comparison (less than, more than)

Use “,which” to add additional information. “I don’t like chicken, which is why I ordered beef”
(note the comma before “which”)
Use “that” to specify info about your noun “I don’t like chicken that is undercooked”
(specifies what kind of chicken)